The “Sugarcide” brings a sobering message

Maybe we’re not the only ones startled to see a vintage, fuchsia green 1974 Cadillac ambulance trolling the streets of Menlo Park. Alas, it’s not a permanent fixture but a rotating marketing stratagem of the Lite for Life franchise (whose corporate office also happens to be in Menlo).

Explains Linda Hicks, owner of the local weight loss consulting service and food market located on Oak Grove: “It’s called the Sugarcide.” [Think homicide]. “Inside on a stretcher is man made of sugar – about the same amount of sugar the average person consumes in a year. People don’t know how much sugar they consume but when you lay it out on a stretcher it’s pretty scary.”

Note to car buffs: These Cadillac ambulances were made for three years – ’74 to ’76 – before government regulations were changed mandating the emergency trucks used today. Before it’s current “occupation,” the Sugarcide served Fresno, CA, for 15 years.

Photo by Chris Gulker